PLDT invests P1.3B in Clark deal

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., the country’s biggest telecommunications provider, is investing P1.3 billion in a data back up project within the Clark Freeport in Pampanga.

This is meant to help maintain “seamless connectivity” in the event of a major disaster, as the building for the project was designed to withstand an intensity 9 earthquake, flooding, fire, storm and other natural disasters, the state run Clark Development Corp. said Monday.

In a statement, CDC president Arthur P. Tugade disclosed that the PLDT data center, which will be completed by March next year, would cater to the growing number of information technology hubs that are being put up within the Clark Freeport and adjoining areas.

“The IT industry in Clark is continuously expanding, upgrading its facilities to provide state-of–the-art facilities to provide seamless connectivity and services,” Tugade said.

According to Tugade, PLDT has about 80 kilometers of fiber optic cables inside the freeport, supporting enterprises that depend on Internet connectivity.

CDC, for its part, said it was not only investing in manpower, but also in equipment and technology. The CDC has put up, for instance, the Clark Integrated Command Center, which was among the requirements during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Ministers Meeting held in the freeport earlier this year.

The Command Center, which makes use of fiber optics to maintain stability of video signals emanating from various points within the freeport, is equipped with close to 100 cameras, nine TV wall monitors, four computers with a total of eight monitors, radios and telephones.

“This is the management’s long-term plan, to address security and to make the Freeport a safer place for the locators, tourists, workers and residents,” Tugade added.